Roz Chast is a highly acclaimed cartoonist, well-known for her work with The New Yorker. She was born on November 26, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York, and spent her childhood in the Flatbush section of the city. Chast was raised as an only child by her parents, Elizabeth, an assistant principal in an elementary school, and George, a high school teacher of Spanish and French. Her parents, who were children during the Great Depression, instilled in her a strong sense of frugality.
Chast's artistic talents were recognized early on, and she went on to study at Midwood High School in Brooklyn. She then attended Kirkland College, which later merged with Hamilton College, before transferring to the Rhode Island School of Design, where she received her BFA in painting in 1977. Chast's first cartoons were published in Christopher Street and The Village Voice, but it was her work with The New Yorker that would bring her the greatest success. Since 1978, The New Yorker has published over 800 of her cartoons, and she has also contributed to Scientific American and the Harvard Business Review.
In addition to her work as a cartoonist, Chast is also a prolific author and illustrator. She has written or illustrated more than a dozen books, including "Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?", which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography in 2014. Chast's work has been widely recognized, and she has received honorary doctorates from Pratt Institute and Dartmouth College. She is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Chast is represented by the Danese/Corey gallery in Chelsea, New York City.